Machine for making laths



`Iran. 3, 1928.

W. D. HICKS MACHINE FOR MAKING LATES Filed May 2 7. 19.25 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q v :a: 298

Jan. 3, 1928.

W. D. HICKS MACHINE FOR MAKING LATHS Filed May 27,

7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 3, 1928; i* 1,654,934

w. D. HICKS MACHINE FOR MAKING LATES Filed May 27. 1925 '7 Sheet's-Sheet 3 Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,934

w. D. HICKS MACHINE FOR MAKING LATES Filed May 27, 1925 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 4f? if Hifi@ Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654;934

W. D. HICKS HACHINE FOR MAKING LATES Filed May 27. 1925 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 K /FQQ/VEX Jan. 3,- 192s. y 1,654,934

w. D. HlcKs MACHINE FOR MAKING LATHS Filed May 27. 1925 '7' sheets-s heet Jan. 3, 192s. 1,654,934

W. D. HICKS MACHINE FOR MAKING LATHs Filed May 2 7. 1925 l 'r sheets-sheet 7 lul mmm be so'spaced with respect to a base or Patented Jan. 3, 19.28.

UNITED vsTaTlazs PATE NT OFI-fics; Y

WILLIAM: D. HICKS, oF INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING' LATI-IS. e

appneation filedV may 27, 1925. 'serial No. 33,222.-

This invention relates to machines for forming` plaster vlath-and more particularly tothe manufacture of lathy of the character set forth in my copending vapplication `for Letters Patent filed July la, 1923,'Serial.

Number 651,673 and which includes a woven wire mounted' upon and spaced from a. baclr` ing sheet of building paperor pulp board by means of fastenings connecting the backing' sheet to loops or offsetsformed in the wire mesh. f.

The object of the inventiony is to provide a machine for producing economically a lath including a wire reinforcement which will wall upon which the lath is to be mounted that the reinforcement will be disposed well within the plaster or other cementitious stapling the wire'to a paper backing sheet,

and coating the structure with water proofing and absorptive and fire resisting materials. Y

Briefly, the machine comprises means adapted to receive poultry wire netting, mea-ns to feed said wire'through the machine Y step by step, certain of said feeding means also being adapted to form crinips or offsets in portions of the wire for the purpose of spacing the body of the wire structure from backing sheet applied thereto, means to align the crimped or offset portions, means to staple certain of said offset portions on a backing sheet after the wire passes from the aligning means, means to supply stapling wire to the stapling means, means to supply the backing sheet, Ineans to coat lthe'entire structure with water proofing material which serves also yas a cement to assist in uniting the wire structure to the'sheet, and means to supplyY absorptive and fire proofing sub'- stances for adherence to the water'proofingr material.

In addition to the various combinations of the parts above mentioned, novelty alsoresides. in various details of construction. For Instance, thewire Lfeeding and crimping means include interfittingparts certain of which are adapted to enter the meshesof the wire during operation to feed the wire and certainof which are adapted to. engage theV twisted parts of the meshes and form there- In the crmps or offsets vwhichv subsequently are employed `to space the body of t-he wire lath from the backing sheet.V Inasmuch as complete shaping and truing of the offsets in lone operation would tend to rupture the wire, the formation of Asuch offsets is prod uced in a plurality of operations, the initia-l crimping being formed by the feeding means above described, the final shaping and truing being performed between a pair of vertically reciprocable plates. The stapling means comprises a plurality'of de-` vices each of which is provided with a pair CEI of spaced forming jaws grooved to receive the staplingpwire and adapted to form the staple, a tongue beingv slidablebetween said jaws for `projecting the staple and forcingr the same through thebaclring sheet to bind the respective offset portion ofthe wire lath to said sheet. The stapling .means also includes devices for properly guidingand retaining the staple-formingwire in position for operation thereupon by said jaws andy tongue and for elinching the staplel f Each staphng member cooperates with means for feeding the stapling wire at the required inn tervals, means being 4provided to prevent withdrawal" of wire whichl has alreadybeen fed. Means are also provided beyond the stapling means for positively ,advancing'the assembled wire and backing.

The invention resides in the new and useful combination and arangement of parts and features of construction illustrated in certain forms in they accompanying drawings, described in a'general way and pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that the invention is limited only as defined by the claims and the prior art. In the accompanying drawings, wherein certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed-by way of illustration:

Fig. l is a perspective View indicating in extended diagrammatic form the various mechanisms which operate to shape thev wire and attach the same to the paper backing sheet;

Fig. 2 is a similar view indicating the means for treating, the structure with Waterproofing and absorptive fire resisting materials- Fig. 3 represent diagiammatically the various step-by-step forming operations to which the Wire strip is subjected;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional detail indicated by line L -4C of Figure 3 showing the construction of the assembled lath and backing sheet;

Y Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the parts of the machine represented diagrainmatically in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5a is a detail as seen on the line 5a--5a of Fig. 5 indicating the gear arrangement for the two sets of star wheels employed in the machine;

'Fig 6 is a vertical sectional detailtaken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5 showing means for imparting power to the main drive shaft of the machine;

Fig. 7 -is a vertical sectional detail taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5, showing the means for imparting intermittent rotation from the main drive shaft to the means which feeds the wire netting and performs the yinitiall crimping operations;

Fig. 8 is a perspective representation of the gears employed in the transmission shown in Fig. 7;`

Fig. 9 s a cross section through the interfittingV devices which 'perform the first feeding and shaping or crimping operation, this being taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 10;

'1 Fig. 10 is partially a vertical lsection and partially an elevation of the devices shown in Fig. 9; r-

Fig. 11 is a viewtalren transversely to the axes of the rotating device which perform the second feeding and crimping operation;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail in perspective of the operative portion of the upper member of the structure shown in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a s'milar view of the operative portion. of the lower member of the structure shown in Fig. 11; f

Fig. 14 is chiefly an Aelevation of the aligning .and criinp-truing means taken approximately from the line 14-14 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 15 is a vertical section taken on the linel15-15 of Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary perspective view indicating the operation of the parts of Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 is a sectional detail taken on the line 17-17 of Fig. 15;

Fig. 18 is partially an elevation and partially a vertical section taken approximately on the line 18-18 of Fig. 5; Y

Fig. 19 is a vertical cross lsection taken on the line 19--19 of Fig. 18;

Fig. 20 is a horizontal detail taken on the lines E20-2O of Figs. 18 and 19';

Fig. 21 is asimilar detail taken from the line 2l-21of Fig. 18;y p' y. 'Y

Fig. 22 is a vertical sectional detail through one of the stapling devices, approximately as indicated by the line 29.-22 of Fig. 18,- showiiig the formed staple in position and about to be expelled;

, Fig. 28 is asectioiial detail taken on the line 28-23 of Fig. 22;

Fig.` 24 is a lower end view of the stapling device shown in Figs. 22 and 23; i

Fig. is a View similar to that of Fig. 23 showing a staple after being forced through the backing memberv and readyY to be clinched; v q

Fig 26 isa perspective view of the staple advancing-tongue; f

Fig. 27 is a perspective view of the two stapling jaws Vbetween' which the tongue of Fig. 2G reeiprocates in advancing the staple to stapling position;

Fig. 9.8 is a vertical sectional detail taken at right angles to the showing of Fig. 22 with the staple forming parts in elevated position prior to the formation of the staple;

Figs. 29 and 8O are sectional details taken on the lines 2.9-29 and 80-30 of Fig. 28;,

Fig. 32, is a plan view ofthe device shown Y in Fig. 31;

Fig. 33 is a perspective view of afeeding in a different state of Operation;

Fig. 3G is a cross section taken on the lineV E36-36 of Fig. 35. p

rllie machine comprises7 as particularly .shown in Figs. 1 andQ; the following main units: a set A of star wheels which perform the primary feeding and crimping or offsetting operation; a set B of star wheels which also perform a feeding operation and a secy oiidary crimping or offsetting operation7 a truing and aligning device C, stapling mechanism D; means E for advancing the strip after stapling, means F for coating thestrip with an adhesive liquid; means Gr for applying a pulveiulent material to the back of the' strip, and means H for applying a granular or fibrous bonding material to the face of the strip. i

The operative mechanism of the'machine (see Fig. 5) is carried upon a frame worlr having side rails 1 supported in any suitable manner. The main drive shaft- 2 jouriialied at Vintervals as required,y is ,carried below the side rails 1 and is adapted to'be driven through the medium of a prime mover 3 by a belt driven pulley 4 keyed on a shaft 5 having a gear 6 meshing with agear 7 fast on said shaft 2,v these being housed as indicatedat 8 and mounted on a side rail 1, as shown in Fig. 6. The main shaft 2 also is provided, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, with an intermittent gear 10 having a short series of teeth 11 adapted to meshintermit tently `with various sets of lteeth on a gear 12 fast on a shaft A13, these gears being housed as indicated at 14. The intermittent gear 10 is provided with an elongated tooth or rib 15 adapted to enter transverse grooves 16 in the gear 12 between the various sets of teeth thereon 'for producing pauses in the operation of the shaft 13. The shaft 13 carries on the opposite end a gear V18 meshing' with gear 19 for driving a shaft 20, the two shafts 13 and 20 carrying `the primary set A of star-wheelsA which perform the. initial crimping and feeding operations of the 'wire mesh 1V supplied from a roll R. The gear 18 also meshes with an idler gear 21 which in turn is in mesh with a gear 22 fast on a shaft 23 and invits turn meshing with gear 24 fast on a'shaft 25, the shafts 23 and 25 carrying the secondary set B of star-wheels. f y

The set A of star wheels (see Figs. v9 and y 10) comprises a series' of upper and lower interiitting wheel sectionsrespectively vdesignated at 26 and 27, each of which sections -is provided with a plurality of pyramidal pro'- jections 28 hexagonal in cross sect-ion, adapted to enter the meshes ofthe wire strip for the purpose of aligning the meshes and lfeeding the wire. vided with crimping projections 29 adapted to. engage the strands of the wire strip and force the same into recesses 30 in the wheels 27 forthe purpose of formingcrimps or oi'lsets 31 in the wire lV, `this operation being performed on alternate meshes asv in` dicated at the right of Fig; 3;y Y

The secondary set B of star-wheels (see Fig. 11) is composed of the upper and lower series of wheel sections 32 and 33 mounted respectively upon the shafts 25 and 23. As in the case of the series ofsections 26 and 27 of the star wheels A each wheel section 32-33 is formed with a. plurality of pyramidal projections 34 of hexagonal crossfsection which also serve to enter the meshes of the` wire' strip and align and feed the same. In thisv set B of star-wheels, each of the upper series'is provided with a plurality of crimping projections 35 double the number of theprojections 29 of the set A, certain of said projections 35 being adaptedv to engagel the strands of wire andV enter the crimps 31 formed by the projections to Vmaintain Vthe shape'thereof, and other projections 35 be-V ing adapted to force portions of intermediate .meshes into openings 36 in the series 33 of 1" star-wheels `for the formation of the crimps the -set B of star-wheels.

The upper wheels 26 are'pro-` or offsets 31" asalso indicated in Fig. 3. In

this manner the longitudinally extending j.

sides of each of the meshes, which sides vin practicefarecomposedof two wire strands twisted together, aretprovided with downwardly'ofiset crimps 31- or 31 after leaving The vstar-wheels in both sets are also provided with open-y ings 38 for receiving the pyramids 28 and 34 during rotationv of said wheels. In bothV sets the star-wheels are necessarily staggered in order to enter the meshes'of the wire. In theupper set A the projections 29fare disposed between t-he pyramidal members 28 while in the set B the projections 35 are disposed both between the pyramids 34 and at the sides thereof.

The crimped wire mesh thus formed is passed along the bed of the machine under a roller 39 to the aligning and 'truing device C the function and operation of which is best 'indicated in Fig. 15. This device com# prises a pair of superimposed reciprocating plates 40 and 41 respectively. The rupper plate 40 is carried ina vertically reciprocable carriage 42 whose lower end is protric 44 driven from a shaft 45 by means rof j gear 46 mounted' in the housing 47 and in turn driven fromV gear 48 keyed on the main drive shaft 2. The lower plate 41 is reciprocated by means of a cam 50r fast o'n the shaft 45, which cam engages an antifriction roller 51 carried in'a stem `52 adjustably secured to a webi on the bottom of the plate 41 as by means of a bolt 53 and adjusting screw 54'. By these means the two plates 40 and 41 are adapted to be separated for movementof the crimped wire therethrough. The operation of feeding the wiremesh forward, which as above stated, is performed through the medium of the intermittent gear 10 on the main shaft 2, consists kin advancing said wire strip two meshesat' 'a time thus bringing two of the offsets 31 and 31 into position between thevplates 40 and 41 at each operation. The plate 40 is provided with three depending webs 55 provided with notches 56 which are flared at their lower ends and'contracted at their upper ends to a size approximately to fit the twisted wire crimps whereby the flared portions guide the wire into position in said upper portions and Y serve' to alignthe meshes. The lower plate 41 is'provided with 'co-operating slots 57, the upper portions of said slots 57 being shouldered at 58 suiiicie'ntly to accommodate the thickness of the twisted wire crimps 31, as best seen in Fig.'1'6f. Thus, when the upper and lower plates 40 and 41 are moved toward each other to the position indicatedV in Figs. 16 *andA 17 the sides of the webs 55 will bend the wires over lthel edges of the slots 57' 'above the shoulders 58 and willk carry theminto the corners formed by. saidV vvided with a bearing 43 receiving an eccenshoulders 58, the lowerVwire-portions then extending transversely of each .slot 57 from one shoulder 58 to the other and through the contracted portions of the notches 56. This operation'results in truing and squaring the offsets .31 and 31. Since only two ofthe crimps are fed between the plates 40 and 41 at one movement the crimp supplied under the third web 55 as indicated at the left of Fig. 15 will already have been trued and squared and will assist materially in positioning the meshes.

The wir-e strip having the offsets 31 thus formed therein is advanced under a roller 59 to a stapling device D for the purpose of stapling certain of the offsets to a backing sheet of building paper or pulp board P from a 4roll Pol and passed over a roller 60 into position beneath the crimped wire strip, whence both the wire strip and paper backing sheet are carried beneath the stapling mechanism D. The stapling mechanism comprises a plurality of stapling devices arranged in a staggered relation in two spaced rows transversely of the machine, each row being adapted to staple alternate offsets in a transverse row, of offsets, and the two rows of stapling devices are spaced to operate upon t-he iirst and fourth rows of any four rows of offsets, two rows of ofi-'sets thus being positioned between the two rows of stapling devices at any stapling operation. Since the wire strip is fed through the machine two meshes at a time each stapler Will staple `alternate otlsets as the wire strip moves longitudinally. Thus, referring to Figs. 3 and 19, the transverse row of staples (31 will have been placed by the Staplers indicated at the right of Fig. 19 by a previous operation, the rowG2 being stapled by the same staplers and the row 63 being stapled by the Staplers shown at the left during the operation `indicated in said Fig.'19. A row of staples will be placed in the transverse row indicated at 64 by the left row of staplers at the next succeeding operation` The re- .sult will be a .staggered arrangement of staples as indicated at the left of Fig. y

The stapling mechanism is disclosed in Figures 18 to 80. This mechanism comprises a plurality of lstapling devices 65Aan'd 65 arranged in two rows carried respectively upon .stapler racks 6G and 66l thee racks being support-ed upon brackets 67 bolted to the two side rails 1 by means of bolts 68 which also secure guiding standards V69. Each standard 69 carries slotted yokes or plates V70 and 71 reciprocably mounted upon vertically extending laterally olfset guiding ytongues G9 on said standards. The yokes 70 and 71 carry and actuatel the movable stapling elements. The yoke 70 -is provided with laterally disposed arms 7 0 which carry two parallel horizontally arranged bars 72, while the yoke 71 is provided with laterally extending arms 71 whichy carry two parallel horizontally arranged bars 73. (See Fig. 22.1) The bars 72 enter notches provided in thev sides of stapling members '(4 vertically reciprocable in thestapler-bodies 65, f each member 74 havingv at its lower end two` tops ofy the members 7 4. The lower ends of the jaws 74 are grooved transvescly at 78 tor the purpose of receiving staple-forming wires S during the forming operation, which fire is introduced from the side of each till stapler G5 through a guiding nipple 79, as

seen in Fig. 28 wherein the forming jaws 74 and the plungers 75 are shown in elevated position. The wire S is positioned and retained by means of a pair of guiding arms pivoted atA 81 in the lower part of the stapler body 65, the lower parts of the arms 8O being laterally offset toward each other and-notched at 82 for thepurpose of receiving said wire S. Disposed alongside of th-e arms 80 is a pair of similar arms 84 and also carried upon the pivots 81 and similarly offset laterally towards each other.

Howeventhe offset portion of the arm 84 is vsomewhat longer than that of the other arm 85 and is notched at 86 to receive the middle portion of that 'partI of the wire S which is tobe formed into a staple and to retainthe lsamel during engagement of the ends thereof by the forming jaws 74 and prior to engagementVH by the plunger 75. Bot-h sets of wire positioning jaws 80 and 84, 85 are normallyurged toward engaging position by springs 87. 7

The yokes 7l) which carry the bars 72 and actuate the members 74 and the forming jaws 74 are adapted to be reciprocated by means of cams 88 (see Fig. 1,8) fixed upon a shaft 89 carrying a gear 90 driven by a gear 91 housed at 92 and keyed upon the main drive shaft 2. By this means each member 74 and its forming jaws 74 are driven downwardly into engagement with the ends of arms 80, thereby separating the latter, and into engagement with the two end portions of the staple-forming section of the wire S. said section being lsheared olf by a small shearing plate 92 fixed on the outer side of one of the jaws 74, as shown in Fig. 27. Continuation of this movement bends said end portions of the staple downwardly into' los ' by the beveled end i pivoted at clinching movement'of the sub-plate 100 is produced mounted on a manner tne wire of cams 94 (see Fig. 18) also carried on said shaft 89, which cams ractuate'the yokes 71. This movement causes separation of thewire holding arms 84 and 85 through engagement of the plunger 75, whereupon the plunger 75 engages the middle portion of the staple, the latter being received in an arcuate'groove 95 in the end of said plunger 75, forced from the grooves 77 and through the paper backing P. v

The ends of the staple S are then ready to be clinched. .This is accomplished by means of overlapped pawls96 which are 97 on the sides of a stationary bed plate 98,`a bracket 99 being pivoted to carry one end of the pivot 97, and to guardl and position saidpawls 96.

of a' pair standing tongues 100 adapted to engage and actuate said pawls 96 whereby the outer ends of the pawls are swung about the' pivot 97 and upwardly into engagement with the ends of the staples S as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 25. This operation clinches the staples into the form shown in Fig. '4, thelower ends of the forming jaws 7 4 serving as backing means against which the operation is performed. The

by means 'of cams 102 fixed on the shaft 89 andadapted to engage friction rollers 103 carried on thelower ends of the stems 104 web on the. underside of the plate 100 by bolts 105 kand adjustably positioned by means of screws 106. In this ing P. H f

The stapling wire S is supplied to the stapler by the means shown at the Vleft of Fig. 18 and disclosed in greater detail in Figs. 31 to 36. This means comprises a wire reel 110 for each stapler from which v the wire is led to a guiding tube 111 which eX- tends to the respective stapler body 55. In order that wire which has once been fed into a Astapler may not be withdrawn v(see Fig. 31) a. leaf spring 112 is employed Vwhose A lower end is curved'and projeetsthrough a side of the tube 111.

slot 113 in the upper and into engagement with the wire S. This curved spring willy permit feeding of the rwire but will prevent its return. The wire S is fed to the guiding tube 111 by means of a feed roll 114 and a co-operating roll 115 being driven by gear 116 in mesh withv gear 117 which together with the roll 114 lis keyed to shaft 118,. Shaft 118 is driven as shown in Fig. 5, through the medium Yof twosets of beveled gears 119 and 120 from the main driven shafty 2. Feed roll 114 has anearly annular flange `121 adapted to engage the co-operating roll115 and is also provided with a wire receiving groove 122 whichy is completely annular ,in form but is slightly and the ends of the staple are p Immediately belowv the bed plate 98 is a sub-plate 100 having upf` lat-h is stapled to the backsmaller in diameter than. the flange 121. At one point as indicated at 123 in Figs. 33 and 36, the flange 121 is cut away, the body of the roll 114 being correspondinglycut awayzfyat 124. During the greater part of rotation of the feed roll 114 the-,flange 121 engages rollf116 and elevates the latter surciently to free the wire S from feeding engagement with the rolls as indicated in Fig.

34. But, whenv the flattened portions 1,23 and 124 lare brought into position opposite theroll 115, said roll '115 is relieved from the flange 121 and drops upon wire S in the feeding. groove 122 thereby producing frictional engagement suliicient to cause the wire S to be fed forward through the respective stapler 65 indicated in Fig. 24.

Vhen the required amount of wire has been Y so fed the flange 121 again engages the roll v115 andlifts the latterfrom contact with whereupon feeding stops and the the wire, n wire slides in the groove 122. 'Each roller 115 and its gear 116 is journalled between two arms 125 of a bracket which is pivoted on a shaft 126. The free ends of the bracket arms 125 are engaged by a washer 127 under the influence of a spring 128 tensioned by means of a nut 129 threaded on a 'swinging bolt 130 pivoted at 131 below said free ends of A,said arms 125. Thus the tension required to cause the roll 115 to drive a wire S when in engagement therewith, is obtained byA the spring 128, said spring being `adapt,- ed to yield under the lifting influence of the flange 121vt0 free said wire S from feeding engagement. The ends of the arms 125 are :rounded as shown at 132 to permit the bolt 130 to` be swung to the ,left in Fig. 31 to entirely free said arms 125 in order that the latter may be .elevated from operative position by swinging about the pivot'126. It will be noted that the amount of movement required by the roll 115 to move the same to and from 4driving engagement with the wire S will be very slight and that the gear teeth 116 and 117 will readily absorb such movement without disengagement.

After the crimped wirel mesh has been f stapled to theA paper backing? bythe means above described the same is moved forward under influence ofthe starfwheel sets A and B assisted by advancing-means shown at E inFigs. 1 and`5, this meanscomprising a. plurality of wheels 135 provided with projections 136 adapted to enter the meshesof the wire. The wheels 135 are drivenv by Ameans of a chain 137 passing over sprockets 138 and 139 mounted respectively on the shaft 25 of the star-wheel set B and on the I shaft 140y carrying the feed wheels135.

yAs shown in Fig. 2the lath structure lis then fed into a vessel 145 containing water proofing and adhesive material, the ylath being submerged under the influence of a rol1el46, `.whence the structurepasses over y a hopper 147 for applying dry comminutcd tire prooling material to the underside there- Vot and under a h-opper 148 which scatters the staples. The ire prooiing materialV may also be highly absorptive of moisture, such as kie'selguhr, which will insure a better bondwhen plaster or the like is applied.

Summarizing, it will be clear from the foregoing that ordinary poultry wire, which may be purchased upon the market, is fed to the primary set'A ot star-wheels which term otsets 3l in the twisted portions of alternate meshes Aot the wire andv feed the same to the secondary set B of star-wheels which in turn form otilsets 31 in the intermediate meshes and in' conjunction with the influence of the. advancing devicefE at the opposite endet the machine, serve to feed the material to the aligning andtruing de- Vicel C which completes the formation of the crimped oisets 31 and'l. Then'ee the-wire mesh W is passed to the stapling mechanism at lD where wire` S, which is fed by the means lshown in Figs. 31 to 36 inclusive, is formed into staples by the forming jaws 74E reciprocating inl each of the stapler bodies @5,the staples then being forced through the paper backingv sheet l? by the staple-project# ing plunger 75, and the ends of the staples ,being clinched by the vpawls 96 as indicated in Fig. 28. Thence, .the assembled structure is passed to the-water proofing and re prooling devices as shown in Figure 2 from which it emerges in sheet form readyto be cut into lengths for the market.

I claim 1. In a machine of the character disclosed, means to supply wire mesh and a backing sheet thereagainst, and means to staple the mesh to the sheet comprising Staplers arranged in two sets to staple alternate meshes. 2. In a machine of the character disclosed, meansto supply wire mesh and a backing sheet thereagainst, and means to staple the mesh to the sheet comprising staplers arranged in two'sets to staple alternate meshes, the two sets being arranged in spaced rows.

3. In a machine of the character disclosed, means to supply wire mesh and a hacking Sheet thereagainst, and means to staple the mesh to the sheet comprising Staplers arranged in two sets to staple alternate meshes, the two sets being arranged in spaced rows with the staplers in one row staggered with relation to those in the other.

row.

4.- In a machine of the character disclosed, meansto'supply wiremesh and a backing sheet thereaganst, means to staple the mesh to the sheet comprising Staplers arrangedin` two sets to staple alternate meshes, the two sets being arranged Vin spaced rows, and means to operate each set oit' Staplers as at unit.

5. In a machine ot the character disclosed, means to supply wire mesa and a backing sheet there-against, means to staplcthe mesh to the sheet comprising staplersv arranged in. two sets to staple alternate meshes, andV means beneath eachstapler to clinchv the staples.

6. In a machine of the lcharacter disclosed, means to supply wire mesh anda backing sheet, means to staple the mesh tothe sheet comprising -a plurality of Staplers each .ot which comprises a pair-.of ormingjaws and a staple-projecting plunger,v` the forming jaws being movable into'position against thev sheet for projection of the staple,.and means opposite the forming jaws to clinch the staples against the ends ofl said jaws.`

7. In a machine of the character disclosed, a stapler comprising a pair of reciprocable forming jaws, a staple-projecting plunger, means to supply wire'mesh and va backing sheet thereagainsty to said stapler,

Vand means opposite the ends of said jaws at the limit' of their reciprocation for -clinching staples against the backing sheet.

8. In a machine of the character disclosed, a stapler comprising a pair of reciprocable forming jaws, al staple-projecting plunger, means to supply wire mesh and a backing sheet thereaainst to said sta )ler means o posite the ends o'tsaid jaws at the limit of their reciprocation for clinching staples against the backing sheet, said *meansV comprising a pair of pivoted pawls and means for swinging said pawls against the staple ends.

9. In a machine of the character disclosed, means for feeding` a strip of wire mesh and a backing sheet thereagainst; and means to staple the strip of wire mesh to the backing sheet comprising a plurality of Staplers operable to staple the meshes of the strip to the backing sheet.

10. In a machine of the character disclosed, a plurality of Staplers arranged in nally thereof.

11. In a machine of the charactery -disclosed, a plurality of staplers, and means for 'intermittently feeding a strip of wire mesh and a backing sheet thereagainst to said Staplers.

12. In a machine of the character ldisclosed, means for feeding astrip of wire `mesh and a backing sheet thereagainst; and

means for stapllng the wire -niesh to the ltltl backing sheet comprising u plurality vof Staplers, means for feeding Wire to saidr Staplers and means operable to form the Wire into staples; said Staplers being operable to placetheffstaples s0 as to fasten the mesh to the backing sheet. Y e

13'. In a machine of the character clisclosecl, means for feeding a strip ofwire mesh and a backing sheet thereagainst; and

connect the mesh to the sheet'operable t0 positionfthe staples astride YWires of Y, the

bzieking sheet.

WiLLiAM D. HICKs means for forming and driving staples toy 10y e 

